Bullet-proof rifle-shield.



b J VVINN Jh BULLET Poof mm mmm l APPLICATION FILED DEC.12\ 1914. l

Patented (Jet. 30, 1917.

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UNITE@ STATES PATENT QFFICE,

Santoni. JAMES wm'N, Jn., or :PLAINE-Iman, lNEW JERSEY.

BULLET-PROOF RIFLE-SHIELD.

intacto.

To all 'whom it mag/concern.;

Be it known that LfSanrrm'L JAMES, WIN,

Jr., a. citizen of the-United States, residin in .Pla-infield, New .lfelsey, have invente certain Ihentai-1d. useful Improvements in Bullet- Proof .RiflefShieldsi-l of which the followingis 4a. specification. T his invention .aims to provide an imrovodshield for use. in war 'to protect the ace and shoulders oa soldier and adapted for quick and easy attachment to a rifle or machine 'funs-o1' light field guns or the The `lield is made of steel of high resistance to impact und sufiiciently thick todeiiect rifle bullets at two hundred yards range. It 4can nevertheless 4be made ver)r lightand compact. Itniay be'ulso designed to serve as a box or pocket in which can be carried a number of rounds of cartridges.

The accompanying` 'drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention. F'ieure 1=is a side elevation of the shield l attaclied to arifle in the position of use;

Fi 2 is a longitudinal section of the shield` to the lock Fic'. 3 is n. forward face elevation of the shield in 4tlreposition of Fig. 1, with the' riilebarrel in section.

Fig. L is a detached plan view of means for adjusting the position of the shield;

Fig. 5 is a perspective Iview of the shield in'hen folded ready or transportation;

Fig, dis, in part," a sirio elevation and, in part, a` longitudinal section showing a construction di'cring ,slightly from that inV the? previous figures;`

,- Fig. 7 is a. perspective view of another style of shield, folded and partly broken tudinal and'. transverse section of a preferre'd style of connection.

' Referring to the embodmentsof the involition illustrated, the rifle is of an? usual orsuitable 'tjipef provided with a ook A. and` a .barrel 4ixedsight() and a rearsi ht D adjustable lrelds are made of metal sheets or plates and comprise a lower portion E andan u per portion F connected by --a hingey G omini a rue- ;joint which 'permits the-parts 4to e folded gigetber asin Figs. 5 and rbutlimits their' ative movement in the opposite direction to aboutthe relation shown mvFfs 1, 2 and 6. The lower 'part of the 1s pro- Speoication of Letters Patent.

and lthe 4parts of the rifle adjacent on the top of which are a.

vided with a port H, Figs. 3, 5 and 7, `the shape of which will depend on the desi of the ril-lc.. `It must-be large enough -to easily passed over the muzzle and shifted to the rear. 4It must lit the cross-section of the rifle fairly close at a point near the lock casing where it is to beapplied and it must be notched-iu some cases 'to pass over projections 'from straps orV other mounted upon or around the barrel..V The erom-section formed by the barrel and-the hand grip J increases gradually toward the rear and the Vport H is so sha ed that it will fit the cross-section of the ri e at about the point indicated and in an oblique position. In .this position it will ldeiiect the bullets and can be n lade of less thickness than if it were arranged' to meet them squarely. A strap or similar projection J (Firs. 1 and 2) orJ (Fig. 6) isili-ranged on ihe side of the hand grip serving as a stop to limit the backward movement of the shield. The portion E of the shield is also provided with a port K in line with the siffhts so as to permit the user to aim the ri e; this port being elongated in the vertical direction to provide for adjustments of the range, as desired.

The upper portion F carries a pivotally connected to the rear face thereof portion of the shield. The rule-joint connection between the two portions of the Patent-ea oet. 3o, 19171* application mecnwemmiaieia semmcsvasaa.

parte shield facilitates the ready attachment of the brace L to the ride', whatever the Van le at which the portion E may stand. s brace is connected by a universal joint L -to the upper portion F so that it may swing;l freely and thus be easily attached at itsV lower end and also so that it may be swung inward flat against the plate F when the shield is to be folded, as' in Fig. ..5 or Fig. 7.\ This brace may have its uplper end-connected on the middle line of t be bent as in' Fig. 8, so us to be out of the line of sight and so as tolie at the side of the rifle. It is provided on its lower .end with any usual means for quick attachment.

In the simpler constructions of Figs. 6

e shield-'and and 7 the brace L is provided at its lower end With-'a rearwardly extending button Mt which can be snapped into a socket N of.

the common impositlve spring catchtype vfastened o side of the rifle just in front oi the icc-f.` o .lg-,s not to interfere `with the fmamg; o .non of the latter;

. .e 85." b raceL' I Means may .be provided, however, for setting the loweiwend of brace L at adjustable heights and' thus varying the angle at which the shield shall stand,A as in' Fig. 1. In this case thesocket N is mounted on a plate 0 which is pivoted on the side of. the gun, and the brace is provided with -a but- A ton on its end similar to that in Fig. 6, but extending sidewise, so that the lower `end of the brace may be snapped into .the socket by a comparatively Slight lateral blow and will be held there against ordinary strains (being removable by a similar blow in the' outward direction). The plate O is practically a gear as shown in Figs. 3. and 4, having teeth on its. inner face which enga e with a: horizontal gear P piyotedont 1eA underside of the rifle and-carrying a handle 'Q 'by means of whichthe user of the rifle can quickly elevate or lower the upper portion of the shield. (See the elevated position indotted lines, Fig. 1)'. f

Theupper portion F of the Vshield (F igs, 11 and 6) isA provided with a top' flange R and side flanges S which serve to convert the shield into a box in which'a number of rounds of cartridges can be carriedqeitherg loosely or' by any suitable` astenings. The upper fiange R is provided with one or more` snap hooks T and -t'he'parts are so proporvtioned that the lowerportion E oi the shield may be closed against-the flaiige R s,and held there by the fasteners-,T so'y as to form a closed box for carrying cartridges on the march, p Where the cartridges arefastened 110y theV upper portion F of the ,shield theyy will be presented to the user in a most con` venient place for withdrawal and insertion into the rifle when on the firing line. Eyes U forattachment to abelt or shoulder strap for conveniently carrying. the shield on the march are providedon the top or side flanges `or both. The -iangesRand S serve also to stifen the portion ofthe shield to which theyare attached.

Any suitable detail may be used for the universal. joint.. In Figs. 8 andv 9 I have illustrated aplateV attached to the portion F of the, shield by countersunk rivets Vand having-a stem W mounted to turn freely in" the stem 'of an eye X engaged by an eye at the upp'er end of the braceL. Thefstem VW is provided with a circumferential groove through a portion of which passesa pin Y fastened in the stem of .the eye X. y p

The shield may be `further simplified, as

shown in Fig. 7,'by omittingl the ianges on `the upper portion and providing the latter merely with the` straps UJand snap hooks T. These are 'suliiciently weak to be readily pressed up by the users fingers when the shield Vis-jto be'unfolded,v and are so shaped'4 that in folding f theshieldthe parts need restricted to the specific .embodiments derifle at a only to be pressed together when they will be engaged and held by the catches.

The 'shield/is entirely supported, in use, upon the rifle, but is so light as not to interfere with the use thereof; and on the 4march the soldiers burden is `so much the- -ticularity of detail'certain specific embed# ments of, my invention, yet it is not ,to'be understood therefrom that the invention is' scribed. `Various modifications thereofin detail and in. the arrangement of the parts may be made by-those skilled in the art without departure from the invention.' l y What I claim 1 1;. A shield for rifles, comprising a plate with a port in its lower portion `ittinl over the barrel of the rifle so that it may be apto a, point near the lockwith the upper ed e of said port restingon'the lock casing an supporting the shield, and a brace for connecting the upper portion of-'theshield' to the rifle at a pointfarthen in the rear,

they are folded they :form a box adapted for A carrying cartrid es and the like.-

-3...A detachab e portable shield for rifies comprising a lower portion adapted forV plied over-the. muzzle and shifted'rearwardly direct attachment .on the rifle, an upperv 4 portion hinged to said lower portion and a brace connecting lthe upper portion to the point the rear of said .lower portion. j.

4. A detachable portableshield for rifles comprising a lower portion adapted 4fordirect attachment on the rie, an upper por-` connected toV said upper portion .and I neans `tion hinged to. said lower portion, a brace rifle so as to-hold .the upper portion in dif. i

lferent positions of adjustment.

In witness whereof, have hereunto `signed my name-'in the presence of two subscribing wltnesses.A SAMUEL JaMEswINN, JR. 1 Witnesses A D. ANTHONY UsrNA, y 'MILULU Srnnnvopr.. 

